


Shades of L

by Psmith73



Category: Walking Dead, Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Ensemble Cast, F/M, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Romance, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-18
Updated: 2012-12-18
Packaged: 2017-11-21 11:30:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/597225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Psmith73/pseuds/Psmith73
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Daryl and Maggie are a rich married couple with influence and power in society. Daryl is queer. One day they meet Glenn who has some serious financial difficulties. Daryl and Maggie make him a tempting proposition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shades of L

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: May contain potential spoilers from Season 1-3 and the comic book series. Rated for themes, language, and adult content. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or the characters.
> 
> My love and gratitude to my lovely BETAs - Mad_Arid and doctorkaitlyn - they are the best.
> 
> Works loosely inspired by this fic: Crossing Over by GobsmackApplejack: http://archiveofourown.org/works/7536784

**Temptation**

* * *

 

**Maggie**

Daryl was really starting to annoy her. Had he even listened to a word she'd said? This election campaign was important for both of them. She'd spent months planning and organizing it. All he had to do was follow her instructions and advice. And now he wasn't even paying attention to her. She had no time for this! Every hour of their day was scheduled; they had no time to waste.  She had  brought him to this café not only to have lunch, but to talk through an upcoming interview with the local newspaper. What was wrong with him?! What was he staring at?

Oh, no… She recognized that look all too well. The look of a predator on a prowl.

They had been married for four years, quite a happy four years if you asked her. Sure, he may have been gay, or bisexual as Daryl himself liked to point out—though she never saw him sleep with any other females except her. But who was faultless? Their marriage was not made in heaven in the first place. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

She was only twenty years old back then, when her stepmother and stepbrother died in a car crash and her father started drinking and gambling. The gambling led to debts and that’s when Merle Dixon, the local thug, came into her life with an offer she could not reject. Her father – Hershel Greene – was a retired politician and had many friends and connections among the higher ranks. And that was Merle’s main interest. Or The Governor’s for that matter. Philip Blake AKA ‘The Governor’ was a big criminal in their town; his shady business was skillfully weaved into every area, sphere of life and organization in their state. The police and FBI  had tried to frame him for years, but all their efforts were in vain. And Merle was his right-hand man, no pun intended (Merle had a prosthetic for a right hand, which he lost some years ago in a gunfight with local police). The Governor wanted to have his own man in politics and since neither he nor Merle could run for a position, they needed Merle’s little brother Daryl to fill the role. Merle threatened to ruin her father, so she was forced to marry Daryl.

And it all turned out quite well, eventually. Daryl was a decent man, unlike his older brother. He was also handsome and smart. And even if he was almost a decade older than her, they got along very well. Over the years they learned to read each other without words; they liked each other’s company and the sex was quite good, though it was obvious that she enjoyed it more than he did. It took two years of their marriage for her to find out about Daryl’s sexual preferences but it didn’t bother her. They had an open marriage from the start, though their mutual infidelities were thoroughly hidden, of course. No one needed the press knowing about their adultery, least of all now. She had some one night stands from time to time, convenient noncommittal relationships; and Daryl had Jimmy, Miguel and Randall.

Maggie turned and followed the direction of Daryl’s stare. Two tables across from theirs sat a young couple about her age. A pretty blond girl and a nerdy looking Asian guy. Maggie was really confused. Obviously, it wasn’t the girl that attracted Daryl’s attention. But the young man was not his type either, if she knew her husband’s taste in men. And judging from those puppy dog eyes that he made every time he looked at his girlfriend, he was clearly straight. And inexperienced. He blushed when the blond leaned and gave him a French kiss right in front of the whole café. And that was when Maggie was interested herself. Because the guy looked somewhat adorable with that blush all over his face, that foolish grin and the air of innocence that radiated from him.

She had stayed in her husband’s bedroom a couple of times out of curiosity when one of his call-boys was in. She watched but never participated, though Daryl did invite her to join them if she wished. She never did. Well, perhaps it was time to change her mind on that matter.

She had a plan.

* * *

 

**Daryl**

He had a headache. He was bored to death with Maggie lecturing him on their upcoming interview. As if he was stupid. He hated this café and his suit. Most of all, he hated his tie. In fact, he hated pretty much his entire life right now. And he hated his older brother, who really was the main source of all his problems. He hated politics and despised everybody and everything involved in it. And now he had to become one of them. All he dreamed of was a life of solitude in some nice little cabin in the woods, where he could hunt and live his life the way he wanted to, without anybody nagging him, without constant worry of breaking some damn rule of etiquette or some other crap like that.

It was all because of Merle. Daryl never disobeyed his older brother. Merle was all he had in his life. Their parents had been useless drunkards that neglected them and died early because of alcoholism. Merle was the one who raised him and made sure that Daryl went to community college and never got into juvie. Perhaps he had his own hidden agenda for that but in his own twisted way, Merle cared for his baby brother. Daryl always felt Merle’s influence. For other people, the older Dixon obviously wasn’t the paragon of virtue; having a criminal record and being a racist couldn’t get one a Person of the Year award. But Daryl was somewhat proud of his brother. Toughest asshole he ever met. Feed him a hammer, he'd crap out nails, as one would say. He even married Maggie simply because Merle told him to.

To be fair, that had turned out quite well. Even though she was a decade younger and they had different upbringings and social backgrounds, they'd gotten along from the start. She never judged him and never tried to change him. Well, apart from that stupid election campaign business. Hell, he could never wish for a better wife for himself.  She was beautiful, funny and had pretty sharp brains. And what was most important – he felt comfortable in her presence. It wasn’t long before Daryl and Maggie became best friends. Even her family – Hershel and Beth grew on him, eventually. With the Greenes, he gained a family that he never had. He wanted to protect them. That led to his drifting apart from Merle. The latter didn’t take it very well of course, they'd had a lot of arguments lately, with Merle reminding him that bros always came before hoes.

In fact, Daryl could have been absolutely happy with Maggie, if he hadn’t been so attracted to men. He did enjoy sex with women, with Maggie for instance, but it was different. It took too much effort to his liking; he had to be gentle and oversensitive to her needs all the time. So yes – usually he preferred men in his bed.

Speaking of which. The sight of a young man two tables across from theirs caught his wandering gaze. A geeky Asian guy, maybe about Maggie’s age. The interesting part was that he was absolutely not Daryl’s type. He had _never_ gone for geeky Asian guys before. And yet, never had he felt such dark, primal desire stirring up from somewhere deep in his chest. He'd had some affairs and noncommittal relationships with men in his past, mostly call-boys, but he'd never felt this way before. Perhaps it was that stupid silly smile on the young man’s face to blame. The problem was that the guy seemed to be straight (though his inner gaydar told him opposite); he was clearly on a date with the blond girl that sat next to him.

She caught Daryl’s stare. There was an amusing mixture of emotions on her face: surprise, recognition, defiance and mischief all at once. She looked Daryl straight in the eye and then leaned and gave HIS Asian one of the dirtiest kisses he’d ever seen in his life.

What a bitch! He felt like he could choke the blonde right then and there. Or put an arrow through her skull. He really missed his crossbow at moments like this.

* * *

 

**Amy**

It was her little anniversary with Glenn. Two months of dating. Apparently. She never kept up with such dates. She always forgot about them. But not Glenn. He'd planned this for weeks. Brought her to this fancy café, bought her an adorable mermaid necklace, though she knew for a fact that he had some serious money issues. Such a sweetheart! It would be so devastating to break up with him. But she had no choice. Bad boys always attracted her more than sweet decent guys. Just like her big sister Andrea (although the latter would never admit it). Perhaps it was the thrill of danger that allured them both to that type of men. And to be fair, it was all Glenn’s fault! He should have never introduced her to that friend of his, Guillermo, in the first place.

And then she suddenly felt it. A stare, coming across from two tables away in their row. A dark, persistent and impertinent stare. There was something creepy and predatory about it. The stare belonged to an older man (quite a sexy man, she had to admit! Maybe not exactly her type but nevertheless sexy) in an expensive looking suit and he had a beautiful redheaded companion. The couple looked somewhat familiar to her. And then it dawned on her – they were that Dixon couple, Daryl and Maggie Dixon.

Daryl ran for politics and rumor had it that the money spent on his campaign came from Philip Blake aka The Governor himself. Another rumor said that Daryl supported a number of far-right views. That was probably why he was staring at them like that. He didn’t like interracial couples! Amy felt as if she was slapped. She’d teach that dirty racist a lesson so that he would mind his own business next time! She leaned over the table and gave Glenn one of the sluttiest kisses she could muster.

Maybe she’d break up with Glenn next week.

As for Daryl Dixon, if a glare could burn, she would be a pile of ashes right now. Mission accomplished!

* * *

 

**Glenn**

Whoa! That was the BEST Kiss he had ever received in his entire life!  All the planning and spending money on things he could not afford was totally worth it! Never mind that he was broke now. He had Amy and that was all that really mattered. Why had he ever considered himself to be “slightly gay”?

* * *

**  
A couple of weeks later.**

* * *

 

**Glenn**

His life sucked. Truly sucked.

He was now officially broke and neck-deep in debts (not to mention that student loan). In three days, he would have no place to live in, since there was no money for the apartment rent and he couldn’t even afford his breakfast tomorrow. On top of that, Amy had broken up with him last week. And now she was dating Guillermo! The traitorous bastard! He'd considered the guy to be one of his friends! Of course, he'd that coming one day. Amy was way out of his league. So even if it stung, he could not bring himself to get mad at her.

Besides, he had other more urgent problems at hand right now. Like money. The lack of it, to be exact.

And then there was another thing. Yesterday, he'd received a mysterious e-mail. An invitation to visit the Dixon mansion. The letter stated that he was not to mention it to any soul alive. He decided that it was some sick joke, played on him by one of his friends. But he had reconsidered that thought when a car came for him today. It took him to said mansion. And that was when things had started to get _really_ weird. For a second, he'd thought that he would be slaughtered there, and no one would ever see his body ever again. But it got even weirder that that. The Dixon couple (Daryl and Maggie, as they asked him to call them) made him the strangest offer in his life. They offered him a highly paid job that went with a place to live in. The job was to be their lover. It even came with a very _detailed and specific contract_ _of his rights and duties **in their bed**_! He would have (should have) been deeply insulted if it wasn’t so surreal. Why, of all people, was he considered to fulfill that role?! _They clearly could afford someone more glamorous_. No. That’s not what he had to think of! He should have been really insulted. And he was! Why did they think he would gladly accept a job of a male prostitute?! It was disgusting. _Even though they both were kind of sexy_. No. Again – **disgusting and insulting**. And why did he even bother to bring that damn contract with him when he returned home? The contract with the devil! Two devils! _Two very attractive and sexy devils_. Who would probably kill him if he mentioned any of this to anyone else, whether he accepted their offer or not. No, that wasn't something he wanted to think about, not right now.

But he still had to solve his financial difficulties somehow. He didn't really plan of dying of starvation anytime soon.

So there were only three solutions that he could see:

  1. The criminal path. He’d have to commit some sort of illegal action to get the needed money, like stealing cars maybe. But then he would certainly get caught. And Rick would have to put him in jail (Rick would probably murder him first, and then put his corpse in jail).
  2. Michigan. He’d have to crawl back home on his knees and beg his parents for forgiveness and admit all his failures as their son, brother and a human being in general. And the whole Rhee clan would relish his humiliation. After which he’d have no choice but to commit suicide.
  3. Accept the devilish contract. He had 24 hours to consider it.



 

* * *

 

**Some months later**

* * *

 

**Glenn**

Glenn looked in the mirror. Hickeys, bite marks and scratches were scattered all over his neck, chest, stomach and back, not to mention the bruises on his hips. Was there some kind of a competition called “mark Glenn during sex as much as possible” going on between those two, which he wasn’t aware of? Not that he minded though.

But the question still remains unsettled. How the hell was he supposed to attend the damn pool party that Rick and Lori were throwing for Carl’s birthday on the weekend?

* * *

 

**Consequences**

* * *

 

**1.**

 

**Maggie**

It was Christmas Eve, and they all celebrated it together – her father and little sister, Daryl, Carol Peletier (their housekeeper), Dale Horvath (Hershel’s old friend) and Glenn, the latter deciding to join them because an upcoming snowstorm interfered with his plans of going to Michigan. It was a joyous and warm little party; Dale and Hershel were reminiscing about their youth, Glenn took videos of them all and made silly some jokes. And then he told them one rather disturbing story from his days as a pizza delivery boy that ruined the whole evening for her. He told them that three years ago, the city had been terrorized by some maniac that abducted, raped and then brutally killed young men that worked in the delivery service. Since Glenn was friends with two local cops, Rick Grimes and Shane Walsh, he volunteered to be the bait in order to catch the dangerous lunatic. To his luck, it all ended successfully – they managed to get the maniac and put him in jail. Glenn obviously was proud of that story, and thought it was hilarious.

The others were rather impressed. especially Dale, but Maggie didn’t share their enthusiasm. She was irritated beyond all levels. His nonchalant behavior could have cost him his life and he didn’t seem to care or notice that fact! She never liked that Rick Grimes (Glenn introduced them once) and she liked him even less now. Suddenly, she wanted to protect the young man from all the dangers of this world. And that was then when she realized how much she cared about Glenn now.

Almost a year had passed from the moment she and Daryl first saw him in that little café. It started as a meaningless sex-based relationship for her. Nothing serious, pure sex and fun. And they did have fun at first! Never, in all those past years of their marriage, had her and Daryl’s relationship had been that intimate and close on so many levels. Threesomes with Glenn had added the needed spice to their sex-life. The young man was inexperienced and it was amusing to teach and guide him.

But then they had gotten to know Glenn more and he proved to have some skills not only in bed but in politics as well. She hired him as her personal assistant; he helped her with the election campaign and gradually took most of the weight and responsibility of it off of her shoulders. He also happened to be a talented strategist and handled some of Daryl’s speeches. Daryl’s popularity ratings had grown considerably since then.

At the same time, their happy three-way relationship ended. She and Daryl drifted apart each day, further and further. Neither of them ceased their affair with Glenn. And they both pretended that neither of them cared. Yet, it stung her every time she saw a fresh bite mark on Glenn’s collarbone, and she in her turn tried to leave more scratches on him during their own intimate moments.

 All these thoughts made her sick. She excused herself and went to her room.

* * *

 

**Daryl**

Glenn’s story made him cringe. He didn’t find it to be amusing or funny, although the rest of them thought it was. Maggie obviously shared his point of view on the matter. She made a barely audible obscene comment about that Grimes fellow and left the room.

From the expression on her face, he realized how fucked up their relationship had become. They had been best friends for four years before Glenn came into their life. And now it was all gone. They could hardly look each other in the eye anymore; they talked only about business matters concerning the campaign. They’d become rivals.

From the moment he saw Glenn, Daryl knew that he wanted something more than just a one-night stand. But Glenn seemed to be straight and off limits, and Daryl tried to forget about him. Yet Maggie noticed his interest towards the young man and came up with a plan regarding how to make Glenn their lover. Daryl was amused and didn’t believe that it would actually work. But it did. Then, he'd thought that Maggie would quickly get bored and leave Glenn to Daryl eventually. Yet she hadn't. Glenn was a bright kid and very soon proved himself to be a valuable asset to their election campaign. He and Maggie were the same age, they shared the same views and interests; it didn’t surprise him that they grew close very fast. Still, the green-eyed monster tore Daryl’s chest to shreds with its sharp claws every time he saw them together. Yet he went along with their arrangement and pretended not to care. It was easier that way. At least at that moment it was. No one got hurt for a while.

* * *

 

**Carol**

She didn’t like Glenn. And she didn’t need any reasons for that, though there was one. She knew that the kid would hurt Daryl some day. Not intentionally, of course. But Glenn’s youth made him careless and dangerous. She cared for Daryl and didn’t want him to suffer. He was a good, decent man. He was kind to her and Sophia; Daryl did everything he could to save her little girl. Carol would never forget that.

Carol had been working for the Dixons for over two and a half years, ever since her no-good abusive husband Ed died of a heart attack and left his widow and little daughter penniless. If it weren’t for Dale Horvath, their neighbor, they would’ve starved to death. He introduced Carol to the Dixons and recommended her for a housekeeper position.

But Carol’s luck didn’t last long. Right after she got her new job, Sophia had gotten sick. It was cancer. She didn’t tell anybody, but somehow, Daryl knew. He found the best hospital and best doctors, he paid all the bills, but it was too late. Her baby, her angel was soon gone. If it wasn’t for Daryl’s support, Carol would have gone mad.

She wasn’t in the position to judge her employers’ weird relationship with Glenn, but one thing she knew for sure: it wouldn’t end well. And she just wanted to see Daryl happy.

* * *

 

**Glenn**

His story somehow upset Maggie and apparently irked Daryl. He didn’t get those two sometimes.

For some reason, Maggie didn’t seem to like his friends, especially Rick. Actually, the feeling was mutual; Rick didn’t approve of his involvement with the Dixons. Not that Glenn ever told him about the true nature of his relationship with Daryl and Maggie, but Rick was not stupid, and figured it out for himself. He didn’t say anything, though Glenn knew that he didn’t like it a bit.

But then again, he wasn’t in the position to judge Glenn – one that lives in a glass house can’t afford to throw stones, after all. Rick himself had a fucked up marriage. Rumor had it that the real reason Rick put his best friend in jail was not because Shane Walsh had been a corrupt cop that killed an innocent civilian in an attempt to conceal his shady business with Philip Blake aka “The Governor”, but because said best friend had an affair with Lori, Rick’s wife. Glenn never believed those rumors. He knew Shane and always thought that there was something dark and dangerous about him. It was actually Shane who suggested to Glenn that he play the role of bait that one time. Rick didn’t want to risk Glenn's life and rejected the idea at first, but Glenn was younger back then and wanted to do something heroic and interesting, so he insisted.  But even if he wasn’t Shane's biggest fan, he was sorry to hear that Walsh was killed in the prison – stabbed by one of his inmates. That news probably had been the last blow to Rick and Lori’s already damaged marriage.

Glenn was sorry for them both, but the most affected person in that situation was Carl, their son. Actually it was because of Carl that Glenn met and befriended Rick in the first place. Back in the day, when his parents’ marriage started to fall apart, Carl felt neglected and after witnessing one of  their fights, he'd run away from home. He didn’t get far though; because it was dark, when the boy took off, he accidentally fell into one of the city sewers. Glenn was delivering his order in the area, when he heard the child’s desperate cries for help. He got the boy out of there and then called his parents.

Another thing that probably bothered Rick about Glenn’s involvement with the Dixons was the fact that Daryl’s older brother Merle worked for The Governor. After the whole Shane story, Rick was obsessed with the idea of bringing that man down. Put him in jail for all his multiple crimes, yet unproven by the law.Moreover Rick had some ugly history with Merle himself. Glenn didn’t know the details, but it had something to do with how Merle lost his hand.

Glenn tried not to think about it.

Of course, it had started as some game for them all and it was fun at first, but over time, it had developed into something much deeper than mere lust. He truly cared for Maggie and Daryl now and he felt that the feeling might be mutual, but then again, he could be wrong. He could mean nothing to neither of them and in some time, they might throw him away like some toy they were bored of playing with. It was easier not to think and pretend to be thick-skinned and carefree. He was always a glass-half-full kind of guy, so he would enjoy it while it lasted, and then come what may. At the moment, no one needed any unnecessary drama.

* * *

 

**Dale**

He might have been old, but he was not blind. The situation between those three was way beyond his level of understanding. They were all good kids (though Daryl was older than the other two, Dale still saw him somewhat as young and irresponsible) and he liked them. Yet their personal life was totally messed up and that was a fact. Perhaps he just didn’t understand young people these days, their way of life. Be as it may, he didn’t approve of any of it. Someone was bound to get hurt.

* * *

 

**2.**

 

**Maggie**

Maggie was raging with anger. She wanted to choke the stupid blond bitch with her bare hands. The said blonde bitch was Andrea, their lawyer. The reason for Maggie’s bubbling fury towards the woman was the fact that Andrea had almost killed Daryl.

The political party Daryl was representing had a big gathering that involved some hunting in the country. So they all went. Daryl usually didn’t enjoy such events but this time it was different; he liked hunting and never missed the opportunity. Unfortunately, Andrea also was there and for some reason, she perceived herself to be a good shot. She was not. Instead of shooting the deer she'd been aiming at, she shot Daryl. Daryl was lucky – the bullet went clear and didn’t touch any vital organs. But he had to stay in the hospital for week or so.

Maggie gave a good piece of her mind to Andrea. She'd never actually liked the woman. Andrea was Merle’s high school sweetheart and Maggie had heard that she'd also had a brief affair with Shane Walsh (the corrupt cop that was put to jail a year earlier and then got killed there) and now she was dating Philip Blake. That alone said a lot about their lawyer’s dubious taste in men. And moreover, she was the older sister of the girl Glenn was dating before he met Maggie and Daryl. Somehow, that fact bothered Maggie the most.

She was scared for Daryl. Maggie always thought her husband to be somewhat invincible and seeing him in the hospital bed was surreal and wrong on so many levels. They would have to find a new lawyer. Maggie didn’t care that it was an accident; she didn’t want to see Andrea anywhere near the members of her family ever again.

And there was also one thing that stung her painfully. She saw Glenn’s face in the moments after the shot. He was white as a sheet and the look in his eyes spoke volumes. She wondered if he would be that worried if it was her that had been shot, and not Daryl.

* * *

 

**Glenn**

His blood ran cold when Daryl fell after the shot. Never had he felt worse than during those minutes before they learned that Daryl’s wound was not fatal. He heard Maggie yelling her head off at Andrea and he couldn’t blame her. Hell, Glenn himself felt quite murderous towards the woman.

* * *

 

**Daryl**

Normally he never would've enjoyed being shot and then rushed to the hospital. He hated hospitals. But then again, if it hadn't been for Andrea’s crappy sniper skills, he probably would’ve never realized how much Maggie cared for him. If his wound wasn’t hurting so much, he would’ve felt sorry for the blonde. His wife was furious. If glares could kill, Andrea would’ve been dead by now. And he had never heard anyone use so many obscene words in one speech. He was positively impressed.

And then, there was also that look on Glenn’s face. For that alone, it was worth getting shot. However, on second thought, Daryl couldn't help but think that if Andrea ever tried to shoot him again, she’d best pray he was dead.

 

* * *

 

**Maggie**

It seemed like they had hit some streak of bad luck over the past couple of weeks. First, Daryl got shot, and then their aunt Patricia had gotten hit by a bus. The news had stirred some bad memories in both Beth and Hershel. Obviously, their family was cursed or, at the very least, prone to car accidents. Beth sank into depression and even tried to commit suicide, while Hershel slipped back into his old habits of drinking and gambling.

Maggie was at her wits end. Hershel had apparently gone to play poker with the two thugs he met at the bar. He sent his driver back home. Daryl had just got out of the hospital and was in no shape to go after her father. And she didn’t want to bother him with her problems anyway. Glenn volunteered to find and bring Hershel back. Maggie didn’t like that idea a bit. Least of all, she wanted to put him in any possible danger. She conceded only when Glenn called Rick for backup.

They returned only at dawn. By that time, Maggie thought she would go mad from worry. She had to tell Daryl about the whole thing eventually and by the look on his face, she knew that he felt the same. Neither Glenn nor Hershel were answering their cells and Maggie didn’t know Rick’s number. Daryl decided to go after them, but fortunately Rick managed to bring Hershel and Glenn back before he could leave the house.

Both Hershel and Glenn were drunk and as it turned out, would have gotten themselves into some trouble if it hadn’t been for Rick and his skills at playing poker. She thanked Rick and bid him goodbye. Neither Glenn nor Hershel wanted to reveal the details of their little adventure, but one thing was apparent: they had won some disgusting looking stray brown dog with a limp from the two thugs they encountered.  Said dog stood proudly in the middle of the hallway where they all gathered.

Glenn had never been on good terms with alcohol and thus had a blush all over his cheeks, either from too many drinks or from the embarrassment because he couldn’t hold stand up straight. He leaned on Daryl for support and a sting of jealousy pierced through Maggie’s heart. Out of pure spite, she suggested they call the dog “Randall” after one of Daryl’s call-boys, because to her mind they both shared some uncanny resemblance. She was a bit ashamed of her gloating delight when the faces of both men changed; Glenn suddenly sobered up and excused himself to the guestroom he usually occupied while Daryl looked like he wanted to kick the hell out of the innocent and oblivious animal.

* * *

 

**Glenn**

It was a long day and a really intense night. Hershel had met some dubious looking guys at the bar and gone to play poker with them. Glenn asked Rick to help him retrieve the old man. They were fortunate – by the time they found him, Hershel had managed to lose all his money and was betting his precious watch that had been in the Greene family for several generations. The ridiculous part of it was that there was a ragged stray dog at the other end of the stake. Glenn and Rick decided to take part in the game to get Hershel out of the situation. Sadly, Glenn sucked at lying in general and that meant he was a crappy poker player as well, so if it weren’t for Rick, the outcome would’ve been different. Anyhow, it ended well for them all and they parted quite amiably with Dave and Tony (the thugs Hershel encountered). Rick brought them home safe.

His mind was slightly clouded from the drinks he had that evening, yet he could still vaguely sense the waves of worry and relief mingled with irritation that came from Maggie and Daryl when he returned home. Both of them were mad at him and Hershel because they turned off their cells during the game.

He was too tired and drunk to have any decent conversation. Then again, he was not drunk enough  to _not_ remember the name of one of Daryl’s call-boys when Maggie suggested what they should name the dog. He had never seen any of them with Daryl but Maggie had mentioned them once in some conversation about that period of Daryl’s life. Glenn was suddenly acutely aware that he would have a severe case of a hangover in the morning.

* * *

 

**Daryl**

His day was just getting better and better. Maggie woke him up in the middle of the night, worried sick for her father and Glenn, who had apparently gone missing, last seen in the company of two thugs. In all the years of their marriage, he had never been so angry at Maggie and at the same time so disappointed in her. It didn’t matter that he was recovering from the gunshot, she had to tell him about the troubles she had with her father. Besides, his wound was already almost healed. Hershel was a member of _his_ family and thus _his_ responsibility, not Glenn’s. There was no need of drawing the young man into this mess and thereby putting him into unnecessary danger. Thank God that Rick was there with them! Never had he been so relieved when the three of them returned safe and sound.

Judging from Glenn’s flushed face and his staggering, the night wasn’t so bad for him after all. Daryl felt warmth in his chest when the young man leaned on him for support. But the magic of the moment was soon ruined when Maggie suggested calling the dog after one of his one-night stands.

This reminded him of the matter at hand. What the hell were they thinking bringing that filthy, disease-bearing animal into his house? Good lord, was he the only one Zen around here?! There was an acquaintance of his, Jim, a mechanic, who had died from rabies after he got bitten by one of those stray dogs. An urge of bloodthirstiness filled him. _The “Lassie” would have to go home._ He didn’t care where that _home_ was as long as it was not in his house.

And why, for God’s sake, did Maggie have to mention Randall’s name? Daryl felt hurt and betrayed.

* * *

 

**Hershel**

He'd wanted to become a vet in his youth. Maybe buy a little farm and live a peaceful rural life in the country. But his future was destined from the moment of his birth – all men in their family were bound to become politicians one day. Even though he had studied veterinary medicine in college, he never got a chance to use his professional skills.

So when he saw that poor creature at Dave and Tony’s place, something stirred inside of him. It seemed like those two were torturing the animal. Hershel bet his Greene family heirloom (his pocket watch) for the dog.

Though he didn’t expect that Daryl would be so opposed towards said dog. He actually didn’t understand his son-in-law’s sudden anger, or Maggie’s apparent gloating, or Glenn’s somewhat upset retreat.  The three of them really did have one messed up relationship there. Not that he ever wanted to get into the mix. His daughter was a grown woman and could make her own decisions.  And she wouldn’t listen to him anyway, nor would Daryl for that matter. He respected his son-in-law; Daryl was a good man, but they were never close. As for Glenn, Hershel liked the boy. The kid sometimes reminded him of Shaun, his late stepson.

Daryl suggested taking the dog to some animal shelter. But Hershel knew that they would definitely euthanize the poor creature there. He decided to give the dog to his friend Dale, who was fond of animals.

* * *

 

**3.**

**Rick**

A series of cold blooded murders terrified the city. All the victims of these murders were missing heads. Rick was convinced that they all were somehow connected to Philip Blake, “The Governor”. Unfortunately, he didn’t have even a single, solid piece of evidence to prove that suspicion. Everyone just thought that he was paranoid and overly obsessed with the guy. Perhaps he was. After the whole story with Shane, Rick swore to bring Philip Blake down no matter what it took because if it wasn’t for Philip Blake, Shane would still have been alive.

Rick always knew that Shane had a dark streak in him; he was easily tempted and in the end, it didn’t come as a big surprise when Rick found out about his involvement with The Governor and that he'd slept with Lori.

He and Lori had many issues, even before her affair with Shane. Early marriage, his constant absence from home, the long hours at work, everlasting mutual misunderstandings; all of these damaged their relationship harder than any adultery would.

Perhaps he could’ve turned a blind eye on everything, tried to forgive both his wife and best friend; he would’ve even overlooked Shane’s case concerning Philip Blake, if Shane hadn’t gone too far by killing that innocent civilian. Apparently The Governor was blackmailing Shane with something because never during the instigation and then the trial did he mention Philip Blake’s name. He took the whole blame alone and went to jail, just to get killed there. Rick suspected that was also done on The Governor’s orders.

His marriage went down the drain after that. They started to visit a family therapist but deep down, they both realized that there was no way back. Though for the sake of Carl and their unborn child (Lori was pregnant again and they didn’t know who the father of the baby was) they decided to withhold the divorce for a while. He knew what people were whispering behind his back, but he didn’t care, even though it hurt when he saw a shadow of unspoken accusation in Lori’s eyes sometimes. Maybe they would’ve solved their problems eventually, but Lori died giving birth to their daughter, little Judith. It almost broke him. But he had his children; he couldn’t afford to be selfish, he had to be strong for their sake. Time and their love might heal him eventually.

Love was one of the strangest things on Earth; it had so many shades. On one hand, it brought happiness, joy; it gave a person a reason to live. On the other hand, it might possibly destroy and crush you completely. Like with that recent incident they had last week. One of the well known and respected citizens of the city, Dr. Edwin Jenner, had gone postal and in a fit of jealousy killed his ex-wife Jacquie and her new fiancé and then committed suicide. Rick knew the said fiancé – Theodore Douglas, great guy. He was a judge that had once sentenced Merle Dixon to imprisonment after a gunfight he had with the police. Rick was just a rookie cop back then. In a nutshell, it was Rick that shot Merle in the arm after which the latter lost his hand. Rick was also wounded and was in a coma for couple of days in the result of that.

That was why he didn’t like Glenn’s… _“close friendship”_ with the Dixons. It could end ugly. It was dangerous on so many levels. Glenn was an honest kid and a loyal friend and Rick didn’t want to see him hurt. Not that Maggie or Daryl were bad. On the contrary, they were good people, but their relation to Merle made their “twisted thing” even worse.

Then again, Rick could turn Glenn’s involvement with the Dixons to his own advantage. He could ask the boy to spy on Merle, to find some connections that might lead to The Governor. Rick had an acquaintance within the FBI, a woman named Michonne, who was also working on Philip Blake’s case. Maybe if they worked together and with a little help from Glenn, they could manage to bring down the bastard.

* * *

 

**Maggie**

Things couldn't go on anymore, not the way they had been. She'd told Glenn that she loved him and presented him an ultimatum – he had to choose between her and Daryl, once and for all.

Perhaps it was their recent near-death experience that had triggered her declaration of love to Glenn. The previous weekend, they'd had to participate in one of the charity events that gathered money and medical supplies for sick children in the little countries of the third world. Unfortunately, Daryl couldn’t go with them. Coincidentally, Carol happened to have a case of acute appendicitis the same day and had to be rushed to the hospital. Daryl, somehow feeling responsible for her, wanted to stay there during and after the surgery, to make sure that everything was fine.

Maggie took Glenn as her plus one. She wanted to make a quick appearance and then try to slip away without attracting much attention. That’s why she didn’t take a personal driver. Glenn knew Atlanta very well (thanks to his pizza delivery days) and he suggested leaving the car in the nearby alley so they didn’t have to wait later in line for the parking space with the rest of the guests.

The evening went as planned and in the end, they managed to get away quite discreetly. But then everything went terribly wrong. In the alley where they left the car, they were attacked by some gunman. He knocked Glenn off and tried to rape Maggie. Luckily, Glenn came to his senses in time to stop the criminal. He lunged at the man and tackled him down to the ground, after which he picked up something from the dumpster and used it as a weapon. He hit the thug with it several times in order to make sure that he wasn’t a danger to them anymore. The makeshift weapon turned out to be some piece of a broken shelf.

Never had she been so proud and scared for anyone in the world; and when Glenn hugged her, trying to calm down her tears from shock and fear, she realized her true feelings towards him. She loved him and wanted to be with him for the rest of her life, wanted to bear his children and never let him go. She didn’t want to share Glenn with no one anymore, even with Daryl. The time had come to finally cut the Gordian knot of their twisted relationship.

Glenn had to make his choice. And it didn’t come as a surprise to him either. He wanted to talk to Daryl first, but it didn’t go well. Maggie could hear their shouting in the study room and there was also some door slamming, after which Glenn stormed out of the house. He called her later that day and told her that he needed some space and time to make the decision. Glenn wanted to take a trip to Michigan to visit his parents and have the opportunity think everything over. He promised to return by the end of the next week.

And she would wait. She would always wait for him, as long as it took.

* * *

 

**Daryl**

Hell finally broke loose. He always knew that the day would come eventually, sooner or later. They both would leave him. Maggie would ask for a divorce and Glenn would choose her. There was no other option for the situation.

All his life, everyone had abandoned him; only Merle had been there at the end of the day. He was bound to be alone. And maybe it was for the best. He'd failed as a husband. He couldn’t protect the two most important people in his life when they had needed him the most. He'd almost lost them completely. He didn’t regret being with Carol at the moment; just like him, she didn’t have anyone else to rely on in this world, it was the least he could do for her. But at the same time, he couldn’t stop blaming himself for not being with Maggie and Glenn when that thug attacked them. She could have been raped, he could have been killed. They _both_ could have been dead if not for Glenn. And Daryl couldn’t even imagine his life without them, without one of them in particular. Even the mere thought of it set his insides on fire. It hurt too much. Yet, he had to get used to the feeling.

They said that attack was the best form of defence. Well, Daryl lived by that rule. That was why he never gave Glenn a chance to explain himself when the latter came for a talk. They had a big fight; he accused Glenn of using him and Maggie to get to Merle, as Rick always wanted. He was cruel and unfair. He told the younger man he didn’t care if Maggie had him all to herself, since Glenn was never more than a male escort to him; he said that lust had been the only reason for their relationship. Those words had their effect; Glenn finally stopped trying, he gave Daryl one last hurtful look and stormed off.

Daryl hated himself. All he wanted was to go after Glenn, to grab him and compel him to come back. Beg him to choose him, _make_ Glenn choose him, by force if he had to. But he knew it was wrong. The mere thought of it made him sick and disgusted of himself. The decision was not his to make. It had to be made on free will alone. And maybe his last words helped to ease the burden of it. Maggie was always the obvious choice. The only choice.

And yet, deep down, Daryl hoped.

* * *

 

**Glenn**

They all had a good point: after all, it was time for him to man up. For once in his life, he had to start making the adult decisions, the right decisions, no matter what price he would have to pay for it in the end.

Rick had asked him to spy on Merle. Glenn didn’t like the idea, and not only because he was scared (though it was one of the reasons, obviously) but because he didn’t want to betray Daryl. Glenn knew that Merle was a thug, a dangerous criminal at his core. He knew that he worked for an even more fearsome man – The Governor. Nevertheless, he was still Daryl’s older brother, his blood and only kin. Spying on the man in an attempt to frame him was close to betrayal. And yet, Glenn knew that it was the right thing to do. Rick told him about the gruesome murders and headless victims. Glenn refused to believe him but, at the bottom of his heart, he also suspected that Merle was involved in those crimes. So Glenn reluctantly conceded to help his friend.

He never perceived himself as the hero type; Glenn didn’t flatter himself like that. If anything, he would rather fit in the part of some hero’s loyal sidekick, whose presence was served mainly for purposes of comic relief. To tell the truth, he would have been quite comfortable and content with that role.

But one never knew what Fate had in store for the future. Like with that gunman in the alley. It was supposed to be a pleasant evening, nothing more. They didn’t expect the attack. It was mere luck that Glenn didn’t pass out for long after that thug hit him; he couldn’t have lived with himself if something had happened to Maggie. He didn’t even remember his actions after he came to his senses and saw that man trying to rip her clothes off. Red mist clouded Glenn’s vision and adrenaline rushed through his veins. Everything was over in minutes. Never had he felt so bloodthirsty and vicious. Only hearing Maggie’s broken sobs stopped him from killing the man.

He wasn’t surprised when Maggie professed her love to him. He would have liked to blame it on the adrenaline, or the heat of the moment, but he knew that those feelings were genuine and didn’t appear out of nowhere. It wasn’t just sex between the three of them anymore, it hadn't been for a long time. The initial lust that bonded them at first had evolved into something much bigger though neither of them dared to acknowledge that until that moment. Only Maggie had enough guts to admit it. He cared for them both, Maggie and Daryl. But it couldn’t go on like that forever. He had to make a choice. And he had to have a word with Daryl first.

“The talk” didn’t work out. Daryl was furious and didn’t let Glenn say what he planned; many harsh words were said. So Glenn left. He was hurt and wanted to feel insulted, but deep down, he knew that it was Daryl’s defense mechanism speaking, not him. They both needed time to cool down.

Glenn had to make a decision. And at the bottom of his heart, he always knew what he'd wanted, _who_ he'd wanted. He was never good at giving speeches, would start to babble and blush when he got nervous. He was better at writing his thoughts down, pouring the feelings onto paper. So he did. He returned to the Dixon's house that evening, unnoticed; Glenn had his own set of keys, so no one saw him. His initial intention was to place his letter in the bedroom. But when he was already standing by the coveted door, he was spooked by the voices of Carol and Beth. And he changed his mind. Because it was ridiculous; he wasn’t some pathetic teenager moping over his first love.

He would talk with them on his return from Michigan, looking them straight in the eye, not hiding cowardly behind a piece of paper.

* * *

 

**Merle**

That boy, the young chinaman, had become a real nuisance. Merle was always aware of the dirty little affair his baby brother and his sister-in-law had with the Asian kid. It disgusted him and he didn’t like the influence those two had on Daryl, but he didn’t interfere for a while. He decided to let them have their fun, as long as it didn’t meddle with his business and didn’t harm the election campaign. At first, it hadn't. The kid even proved to be a valuable asset and his skills in politics helped to raise Daryl’s ratings. But then these rumors started to spread. Because people were not blind and those three idiots were so absorbed in their… whatever it was they had, that they that didn’t seem to care anymore. Their campaign could not afford a scandal right now. And Merle was the last person to let that happen.

Then there was another disturbing thing about that boy. Merle had a very strong hunch that the bastard was spying on him. Snooping around. The older Dixon suspected that the Asian was working for the son of a bitch Grimes, the cop that had cost Merle his hand.

Something had to be done.

* * *

 

**The Price**

* * *

 

**Glenn**

Glenn never liked planes and airports in particular. He avoided flying whenever he had a chance. So he went to Michigan by car, as usual. It was getting dark and he was running out of gas. But luck was on his side – soon he noticed a lonely gas station by the road.

When he was almost done filling his gas tank, some other car stopped by, for the same reasons apparently.

Glenn noticed the menacing figure only when it was too late. He didn’t get to see the man’s face. Just the glint of the tip of his cigarette in the night and the bat he was holding. Kenny Rogers was singing “Lucille” somewhere in the background. Ironic how tacky and inappropriate this requiem was. _“…I finally quit livin' on dreams…”_

There were two thoughts on Glenn’s mind before he received the first blow on the head:

  1. He realized that he would never see those beloved eyes again.
  2. He wished he had left that letter after all.



 

And then it all went dark.

* * *

 

**Merle**

The problem was finally solved. Merle inspected the boy’s belongings that had been handed to him. He was right – the sneaky bastard was spying on them, judging from the photos that he found on the memory card from the kid’s cell. Nothing incriminating though. There was also some letter. He looked through it. Again, nothing important: some stupid lovey-dovey bullshit, if he got it right. He couldn’t decipher the name of an addressee, the blood stains were splattered all over the note. Not that he really cared. It was probably written to one of those two fools. It didn’t matter anyway. Merle lit the useless piece of paper on fire.

* * *

 

**Rick**

Glenn was dead. He couldn’t comprehend the words at first. The buzz of his cell woke him up at 4.10 am. It was his colleague from the neighboring state. He informed Rick that Glenn was murdered the night before at some gas station near the interstate. Police suspected it was a robbery that went wrong. There were no witnesses. Rick was the first person they connected because they found his business card in the glove compartment of Glenn’s car. And now he had to tell the devastating news to Glenn’s parents and friends. And the Dixons, of course, if Merle hadn't informed them already. Rick knew for sure that it was he who'd killed the young man, whether he’d done it personally or made one of his bootlickers do the dirty job. And Rick felt that he himself may have triggered that action. Merle must have suspected Glenn’s spying. If Rick hadn’t pushed the kid for that, maybe he would have still been alive. Rick knew that he’d have to live with that guilt for the rest of his life.

* * *

 

**Daryl**

He felt numb. It didn’t hurt, like one would think. There was no pain, no tears, nothing.

He couldn’t grasp the thought that he would never see Glenn alive again. Glenn was the liveliest person he ever knew. The mere thought of him being dead was obnoxious and insulting. Daryl couldn’t believe that he would never see that goofy smile again, would never hear that infectious laugh, and would never feel the softness of Glenn’s skin under his fingers.

When Rick called him, he'd thought that it was some sick joke at first. And then he'd hoped that it was a mistake. They said that the body had been disfigured. He shuddered and felt nauseous. It couldn’t be Glenn. Daryl tried calling him, but Glenn’s phone was dead. And he still hoped. He hoped that Glenn was alive. It didn’t matter now whether the young man returned his feelings or not, it didn’t matter if he chose Maggie and wanted to be with her; or if he left town and Daryl forever. As long as he was alive and happy somewhere or with someone, Daryl would take it. He hoped and prayed (maybe for the first time in his life). He hoped and bargained with Fate, the Universe or whatever God existed up there.

Until Merle came. And then it became obvious that all Daryl’s hopes and prayers were useless and in vain. He saw it in his brother’s eyes. And then he realized that he hated Merle with every fiber of his being. He decided that he would not just simply kill his older brother then and there (it would be too easy), but he would not rest until he ruined everything that Merle ever cared about.

He was numb. He didn’t feel pain. But he was suffocating like someone sucked all the air from his lungs. He knew for certain that Glenn was dead. But he still couldn’t learn to live with the fact. Maybe it was because he didn’t see his body in the coffin, didn’t visit his grave, didn’t go to the funeral, never got a chance to say the proper goodbye. The ceremony was for family members only. Glenn’s parents made one single exception for an outsider and it was for Rick Grimes. Perhaps it was for the best. Maggie wanted to go; she even booked a flight to Michigan but the Rhee clan politely yet firmly declined her plea to attend the ceremony.

Maggie was crying in her room. She had been crying from the moment they heard the news. Daryl wondered where all those tears came from, and if she was in danger of dehydration. He wanted to go to her and comfort her, but he couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eye, for he knew exactly what he would see in them. Guilt, accusation, contempt and bitterness. He felt it himself. She was the one person in the world that could understand him and yet the only person he didn’t want to see right now. Besides, she had her family – Hershel and Beth were there for her.

Daryl had to call Rick. Merle and his boss, the Governor, had to be dealt with. He went to his study room and turned on his laptop. The system informed him that he had a new e-mail.

An e-mail from beyond the grave. It was a short message from Glenn. Apparently he had sent it right before he took off to Michigan. Daryl read and reread it several times. The words unsaid burned his chest. He felt as if someone had opened him up and pulled all his guts out.

_“Hey, dumbass. I’m still pissed at you, and I guess the feeling is mutual. But we need to have a talk anyway, and you know that too. I’ll be back in town by the end of next week. I’ll call you then. Please, don’t be stubborn and don’t try to reject my calls. Glenn.”_

He flung the laptop at the nearest wall. And then he trashed everything his hands could reach.

When Daryl came to his senses again, he was sitting on the floor in the middle of the crashed room. He felt someone’s comforting hands holding him. The hands were Carol’s. He heard someone’s broke and desperate sobs. The sobs were his.

* * *

 

**Carol**

She always knew that the boy would break Daryl’s heart someday, one way or another. She hated Glenn right now. It was cruel and irrational of her to think like that, but she couldn’t help herself from feeling angry and irritated at the young man. She should have been sorry for him. She was. He was a good, kind and honest kid who hadn't deserved to die the way he did. No one deserved that, actually. But he was dead, and no one could help him, whereas there were living people who were suffering due to the situation. Glenn, wherever his poor soul was now (she personally was through with religion after Sophia’s death), was the lucky one – he couldn’t feel the pain of loss, unlike those he left behind. He had been careless and his death had broke Daryl and only that mattered to her. It hurt her to see Daryl in a state like that and she feared that there was no way back for him. He would never be the same again. She read it in his dead, glassy-eyed stare.

* * *

 

**Maggie**

Maggie was lying on her bed, pillow damp from her tears. She didn’t leave the bedroom for several days. Hershel and Beth left her meals outside the room, but she hardly touched the food. She didn’t want to see anyone, because grief, just like happiness, is often selfish. She was wrapped up in emotions and almost relished the pain.

Unlike Daryl, she didn’t go through the traditional stages of loss. She'd had a bad dream on the night that Glenn was murdered; she'd waken up in tears, covered in cold sweat and hadn't been able to go back to sleep again. She'd never been superstitious, yet from the moment they'd heard the news about Glenn, Maggie knew that it was true. She didn’t have vain hopes, she didn’t bargain and there was no anger. Instead, dark waves of depression covered her from the start and she was drowning in it; accepting it willingly, almost admiring the agony.

She remembered her last talk with Glenn. She replayed it in her mind over and over again, trying to analyze every detail of it, to find any hints or signs of his true feelings towards her. It maddened her that they would never know his decision. Maggie wondered if she would have been more devastated and heartbroken, had he chosen to be with Daryl eventually. She knew it was sick and mean of her, yet she didn’t know the definite answer to that. Perhaps it was for the best – if she couldn’t have him all to herself, no one could. Maggie regretted that thought the minute it formed in her head, she hated herself for that.

She would have done anything to bring Glenn back, safe and sound, _alive_. She would’ve gladly died for him herself; would’ve killed or betrayed anyone if requested in exchange for his life.

There was emptiness in her heart now that nothing could fill.

She was denied a chance to say the last goodbye to him. In the eyes of the law and the Rhee family, she and Daryl had basically been no one to Glenn. She found a few of Glenn’s personal belongings that he'd left in the guest room that he usually occupied; several photos and the video that he took on their last Christmas Eve. He was mostly off camera, but she could hear his voice in the background, could hear his jokes and sarcastic comments. She stubbornly tortured herself by rewatching it over and over again. She had nothing else left of Glenn, only that and her memories. She didn’t know how to live now that he was gone.

She heard the crashing sounds from the study room. She should have gone to Daryl; they shared the same grief and understood each other like no one else. But then again, she didn’t want to see him right now. There was a wall between them. A wall of guilt and unspoken accusations. Besides, he had his loyal Carol; she would take care of him.

Her cell buzzed. It was a call from her doctor Milton Mammet. He informed her that her test results were positive. She was pregnant with Glenn’s child. 

* * *

 

**Shatters**

* * *

 

**Daryl**

The image was imprinted in his brain permanently now. The image of Glenn lying in the pool of his own blood at that gas station. Daryl wanted to claw his own eyes out in a desperate attempt to stop those pictures popping out in front of his inner vision. But there was no way back now. He had to see those photos. He asked Rick to show them to him. He had to know how Glenn died. It killed him that _his boy_ died like that, all alone. No one deserved that, least of all Glenn. And Daryl never got a chance to tell him… Well, it was too late now anyway. Glenn was gone and Daryl’s last words to him were cruel and unjust. There was no way to change that.

Though, he could help to bring down the people responsible for Glenn’s death, could help bring down Merle and the Governor. He cooperated with Rick and an FBI agent, Michonne. Together, they managed to put Merle in jail and start the investigation concerning Philip Blake’s shady business. Daryl’s help was essential. Rick wanted him to join the witness protection program, but he refused. He wasn’t afraid of the Governor or his men. He wouldn’t run or hide from them; if they wanted him dead they knew exactly where to find him.  If they came, Daryl would deal with them.

But he didn’t want them to harm Maggie or her family. He filed for a divorce and moved out of the city. Daryl bought a little cabin in the woods and started a solitary life, like he always wanted. Ironically, it didn’t make him happy. Happiness was a foreign notion for him from now on. 

Of course, the election campaign went down the drain; he withdrew from it after Glenn’s murder. He didn’t regret it; in fact, he'd never liked politics in the first place. And after the rumors started to spread, there was no way for him to stay in the race. Those rumors stated that it was he who arranged Glenn’s murder, because the young man had an affair with his wife. Daryl didn’t care what people said about him personally, but it enraged him that they dragged Glenn’s name in the mud. And it also affected Maggie. She didn’t deserve that, especially when she was expecting a child.

Glenn’s child. Daryl envied her. Part of Glenn would always be with her, no matter what. And Daryl had nothing besides some photos and a Christmas video. But he never had the heart to watch it, for it was yet another painful reminder that he would not hear Glenn or see him in the flesh ever again. He couldn’t even visit the grave. Rick informed him that according to the family tradition, the body was cremated and then the ashes were moved to Korea to the Rhee clan’s burial vault. Glenn was always proud of his Korean origins, but Daryl knew for sure the young man didn’t accept cremation. They'd had a heated debate on that subject once. Daryl was more open to the idea back then and Glenn strongly opposed him on the matter. Perhaps, there was some grim irony somewhere in that, but he didn’t appreciate it even a bit.

After seeing the photos from the crime scene, Daryl realized why Glenn’s parents opted for the private funeral ceremony. The coffin was closed. He was glad that Maggie didn’t get to see the photos and Daryl hoped she would never find out about the gruesome details of the murder. Her memories of Glenn would not be shattered by those images.

He was in constant agony and getting used to it. The pain and the dullness were his persistent companions now. But the nightmares were the worst. He would dream of trying to save Glenn, but in those dreams he was never fast or strong enough to reach for the young man in time. Something would always come up between them – a wall or an iron gate. And Glenn would be taken away while desperately shouting out his name, calling for him. It was unbearable, he couldn’t sleep anymore. He led a miserable existence of being almost living dead.

Only the thought of Maggie’s unborn child kept him going. He wanted to protect that baby; he owed it to its late father. Even if Maggie did not want to see him ever again, Daryl would keep an eye on them from the distance, so no one could harm them.

* * *

 

**Maggie**

It was the beginning of a new page in her life. A lot had happened since that day when she first learned of her pregnancy. She and Daryl finally got their divorce. They sold their house. Neither of them wanted to live there; it was haunted by too many painful memories. They both moved out of the city. Daryl got himself some hut in the woods and she hadn’t see him since. Hershel finally achieved his dream of buying a farm in the country and Maggie moved in with him. Beth went to college and started her own life.

They provided Carol with recommendations, highly praising her personal and professional skills. But the woman didn’t go into service again; instead, she started her own little business. She opened a bakery and called it “Sophia”. When Maggie last heard of her, they said she was dating some former NFL player named Tyreese.

Maggie got used to the life in the country soon enough. It was quiet and peaceful; she didn’t miss the glamour and vanity of the city that she'd left behind. And the tabloids bothered her less here. They were like vultures, prying into her personal life, trying to dig out the dirt, spreading ridiculous and obnoxious rumors about Daryl and his presumed arrangement of Glenn’s murder. She would have laughed if it didn’t disgust and infuriate her so much. How dare they accuse Daryl of that? None of those scumbags were worth the dust off his boots! But Daryl didn’t seem to care. It appeared that he had only one goal in his life now – to bring down the Governor. He grew close with Rick on that matter; a friendship bonded them that she’d never expect to see. 

Maggie didn’t take any significant part in the investigation or the trial concerning Glenn’s murder and the Governor’s business. On one hand, she wanted to help; on the other, Daryl didn’t want her to become the target of Philip Blake’s vengeance if things went gone wrong. Perhaps, if it weren’t for her pregnancy, she would’ve been more reluctant to listen to him and stay in the background. But now she had another life to protect. She couldn’t risk her unborn child.

They said it was a boy. For the first time in all those months, she felt happy. There was a bittersweet flavor, of course, but still, it was joy. She hoped that her son would take after his father. Maybe one day, they would visit Glenn’s grave in Korea. No matter what his decision might have been, she was glad that in the end, Glenn knew of her feelings towards him.

Alas, Daryl didn’t have such thoughts to comfort him. Maggie hoped that time would eventually heal them both and some day, she would be able to introduce her son to him. Maybe they could resume their friendship again. Yet, one never knew what life had in store for the future. One step at a time…

* * *

 

**The end**


End file.
